Delegate Hala Ayala, who has represented the 51st district in the Virginia House of Delegates since 2018, has been a fierce advocate for her community long before she held office. As a cyber security specialist for the U.S. Coast Guard, she defended our nation’s national security, and as the former president of the Virginia chapter of the National Organization for Women and founder of our local Prince William County chapter, Ayala has fought tirelessly for women’s rights and body autonomy. As a member of the House of Delegates, her long history of activism shaped her policy proposals as she worked to pass legislation to expand medicaid, raise teacher pay, and establish a state cybersecurity task force here in the Commonwealth.

Now, Ayala hopes to make history as the first woman of color elected to statewide office in her bid to become Virginia’s next Lieutenant Governor.

The 2021 Virginia Lieutenant Gubernatorial race has already made history as Delegate Ayala recently became the second woman of color to be nominated by a major party for a statewide office in Virginia. The first to claim that title is her opponent, former Delegate Winsome Sears, who was nominated by the Republican party just a few weeks before the Democratic primary. 

The Democratic primary for Lt. Governor saw an extensive field of contenders face off for the spot on the statewide ticket. Ayala claimed the nomination with just over 37% of the vote, defeating her opponents Delegate Mark Levine (D-45), City Councilwoman Andria McClellan (D-Norfolk), Former NAACP Fairfax President Sean Perryman, Delegate Sam Rasoul (D-11), and Xavier Warren.

When asked about the historic nature of her race, Ayala acknowledged the significance but added that her goal is not to simply “make history” but to build on the work she did in the House of Delegates in order increase access to healthcare and affordable housing as our Commonwealth works toward a strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Virginia has never had a woman of color serve in statewide office, and I would be honored to make history and serve the Commonwealth as I have in my capacity as Delegate,” Ayala said. “But this election is so much more than that. It’s about continuing to build on the progress we’ve made in the past. The past four years here in Virginia have been historic in their own sense.”

The past four years have seen a shift in Virginia’s political paradigm as Democrats gained a majority in both chambers of the General Assembly. Since then, the legislature has enacted reforms to remove ‘Jim Crow’ laws from the Virginia Code, expanded healthcare access, and removed antiquated voter suppression laws.

“My focus, although, yes, it is an honor to be a first, is to continue to make sure we are focusing on the present and the future, and that is making sure that every child has access to a quality education, creating access to affordable healthcare, putting equity and equality in all of our laws,” she added.

When Ayala began serving in the House of Delegates in 2018, the Republican party still held a thin majority despite the Democratic trifecta in the Commonwealth’s executive branch. She cited this as one way that her experience in the legislature would allow her to lead effectively as Lt. Governor. 

Ayala added that the relationships she has built during her time in the House of Delegates will help her bridge ideological gaps and foster relationships in order to keep the Commonwealth moving forward.

The structure of Virginia’s statewide elections allows for the possibility of candidates from different parties to be elected Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General. This means that it is possible to have a Republican Governor and a Democratic Lt. Governor on the same ticket, or any other combination of candidates from both parties.

Though she expressed hope for the success of all Democratic candidates on the ticket, Ayala said that, if she ends up serving alongside a Republican Governor, she intends play a large role in the administration and hopes to foster conversations about the progress that the Commonwealth has made thanks to the leadership of the Democratic majority over the past two years.

“These are the things that are helping Virginians,” she said.

When asked about her goals over the next four years, Ayala stated that healthcare, a deeply personal topic for her, will continue to be her top priority as she seeks to build upon the progress the Commonwealth has made since expanding Medicaid to over 400,000 Virginians just a few years ago.

“That’s the thing that saved mine and my son’s lives,” she said. “During my pregnancy and post delivery, me and my son had healthcare needs. My story is not unique to Virginians, and we need a healthcare system that is inclusive to all and an inclusive economy that works for all. Virginia is not out of a pandemic, and we need to continue to build bigger bridges to come out of this stronger and more prepared for the next crisis and have the courage to make the right decisions.” 

Ayala has been open about how she struggled as a single mother and the resources that she did not have that she wants to ensure others have. She expressed that she wants to work to ensure everyone has opportunities regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, and zip code.

“I know the impact of not having food and being one paycheck away from eviction. I didn’t know how I was going to keep my lights on, how I was going to pay my mortgage, or buy the prescriptions my son needed. These are the real struggles and lived experiences. We need to invest in our communities and infrastructure.”

She also expressed the need for change, citing her background growing up poor in Virginia. “I’m the exception not the rule,” she said, adding that she lost her father to gun violence at a young age and often had to stand in food lines.

“When you don’t know what tomorrow will look like, you can’t plan for a future,” she said.

During the Democratic primary, Ayala drew criticism for accepting a donation from Dominion Energy after signing the Clean Virginia pledge to not take money from the company. Clean Virginia, a political action committee funded and run by multimillionaire couple Michael Bills and Sonjia Smith, subsequently funded more than $100,000 worth of ads against Ayala in the last days of the Democratic primary.

When asked how she plans to regain the trust of those who have raised concerns about the issue Ayala reaffirmed her commitment to environmental issues. 

“I never have and never will break my commitment to the people of Virginia, no matter who has contributed to my campaign,” she said. “I have always and will always vote in the best interest of my constituents, not corporations or wealthy individuals. Whether it’s expanding affordable healthcare or protecting our drinking water, I delivered for Virginian families, and I will continue to do so as Lt. Governor.”

In her victory speech, Ayala said it’s important to ensure Black and Brown people have a seat at the table and are no longer on the menu. When asked how she plans to make that happen, she said that representation is the key. 

“When you have diversity in the space where decisions are made, you’re fighting for policies that impact our communities directly,” she said, adding, “but it’s not a singular I. It’s always a ‘we’.”

Ayala added that it’s important to work with community stakeholders and advocates to find new ways to make progress.

”I’ve always kept my door open, my phone on, and my email active, and that’s what I’ll do as Lt. Governor,” she said. “We’re going to be with the people, not just presiding. The title and the office will be an honor, but the style I’ll bring to the office will be unique. I will continue to be a member of the community, as I have as delegate.”

Ayala is joined on the Democratic ticket by former Governor Terry McAuliffe, who is running for a second term as the Commonwealth’s chief executive, and Attorney General Mark Herring, who is running for his third term in the office. The Republican ticket includes entrepreneur Glenn Youngkin, the Republican nominee for governor, former Delegate Winsome Sears, who is facing off against Ayala, and Jason Miyares, who is challenging Herring in the Attorney General race. The gubernatorial race also includes teacher Princess Blanding, who is running as the nominee for the newly formed Liberation Party.

If elected, Ayala would be the first woman to serve as Lt. Governor as well as the first Afro-Latina and the first person of Lebanese descent.

The PW Perspective has proudly endorsed Ayala.To learn more about Delegate Hala Ayala, you can visit her website at https://www.halaforvirginia.com/.